The Aquacal swimming pool heat pump is unique because...

Low Noise Levels. The best feature of the Aquacal swimming pool heat pump?

Its low noise level.

Aquacal has a published noise level of 55 dB. This is approximately the noise level of a small copy machine.

From 10 feet away it is virtually noise-free! If noise is a concern, this is the way to go!

Warranty. If you live in one of the east coast states of Florida, Connecticut, Washington DC, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, or Vermont warranty terms are extending quite generously. See the table below for details:

Installation Location

Parts

Labor

Compressor

Heat Exchanger Tubing

States Listed Above

7 year

2 year

7 year

Lifetime

All Other States

2 year

2 year

5 year

Lifetime

Patented Titanium Heat Exchanger. Many manufacturers within the pool heat pump industry boast a titanium heat exchanger in order to fight off the chemicals introduced into a swimming pool. However, Aquacal uses specially patented ThermoLink counter flow water management system. This is claimed to be the only counter flow titanium heat exchanger on the market. If this is the case, the efficiency and operational limits are vastly improved for the AquaCal swimming pool heat pump.

Other important features common to pool heat pump manufacturers:

Defrost. This allows the heating option of the heat pump to operate when outside conditions are below 50 F.

Digital Control and Diagnostics. Digital controls are incorporated within the Aquacal swimming pool heat pump for ease of temperature control and troubleshooting. Digital codes are presented to indicate to the user or technician the source of the problem.

What Aquacal model would provide enough heat for my pool?

Of course, who wants to buy a pool heat pump that isn't large enough to heat their pool? Below is a table that indicates the amount of heat that each Aquacal model supplies.

Model

Heat Pump Output

SQ110

63,000 - 100,000 Btu/hr

SQ120

73,000 - 113,000 Btu/hr

SQ155

86,000 - 135,000 Btu/hr

SQ175

91,000 - 143,000 Btu/hr

SQ121R

74,000 - 118,000 Btu/hr

SQ156R

88,000 - 139,000 Btu/hr

Other important features common to pool heat pump manufacturers:

At this section of every review page I give the manufacturer a 1 to 10 rating. 1 is low quality, 5 is average and 10 is high quality:

Quality Rating: 8

Aquacal exceeds expectations in providing a low noise emitting heat pump. Some other aspects of the Aquacal swimming pool heat pump that gives it a slightly above average rating:

2) Defrost cycle. This feature is a real benefit for swimming in lower ambient temperatures.

3) Refrigerant Pressure, Water Temperature, Compressor Delay. Each of these safety features, which are industry standard, protect your heat pump from early failure. Make sure that you take action if a trouble code appears! The only thing that I don't like... the adjustable compressor delay time. This should be set by the factory.

Aquacal Diagnostics Dictionary

Below are diagnostic codes for the Aquacal swimming pool heat pump. I am not a huge fan of the Aquacal's diagnostics. Both Hayward and Rheem have a better diagnostic system.

Code

Cause

dPO

Defrost sensor open.

PO

Water temperature sensor open.

dPC

Defrost sensor shorted.

PC

Water temperature sensor shorted.

LP

Refrigerant system low pressure switch open.

HP

Refrigerant system high pressure switch open.

HP5

5 High pressure faults within one call for cooling or heating.

LP5

Low pressure faults within one call for cooling or heating.

OTA

Over temperature alarm.

FLO

Low or no water flow detected.

FS

Heater in defrost mode.

CSE

Control system error.

CEr

No communication from controller.

Need more information?

Rant or Rave!

What pool heat pump do you have/had or want? Where do you live? How long of a swimming season do you have now? Are pool heat pumps saving you any money compared to a previous heating method? Please comment on any one or all of these questions....it will be great to see some of your responses!

Your story will appear on a Web page exactly the way you enter it here. You can wrap a word in square brackets to make it appear bold. For example [my story] would show as my story on the Web page containing your story.

TIP: Since most people scan Web pages, include your best thoughts in your first paragraph.